This Is The End
by The Ghoul's Bee
Summary: Sasuke has finally declared his intent toward the Kages. As Naruto prepares for one last match with his "best friend", Sakura decided she'd had enough, leading to a much faster conclusion. Oneshot


**THIS IS THE END**

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><p>"Sasuke…"<p>

The word was spoken softly, and for a moment, the other members of Team 7 paused.

Slowly, Sasuke turned. He knew the voice, they all did. Nonetheless, there was no place left for her in the inevitable fight. She was useless, as she'd always been, in his eyes, and he would settle for nothing less than proving that much in an instant-

The Uchiha's thoughts were cut off as Sakura's fist smashed into the side of his face, catching everyone off guard.

"S-Sakura-chan!" Naruto blanched in surprise, at the sheer absurdity of the action his pink-haired teammate had taken.

"You son of a $#% &!" Sakura roared, her face twisted in rage and sorrow.

Sasuke, despite his strength, barely had time to flinch as another blow smashed into his gut.

"I loved you! _We_ loved you!" Sakura continued, unleashing the fury of a thousand suns upon the one who continued to disappoint. "You were our partner, our teammate, our _friend_, and what have you done?! You tossed it aside, all of it, to do what?! Kill the Kage?! Kill Tsunade? Kill _Naruto?!_ I won't allow it! I won't let you lay a hand on any of them! Do you hear me, Sasuke?!"

She slammed another fist into the Uchiha's face, and Sasuke flew. His body smashed and skidded across the endless plains nastily, and Naruto could've sworn, _sworn_, that he heard the sound of breaking bones.

"Sakura-" Sasuke began, sprawled on all fours while trying to climb back to his feet.

"I don't want to hear it!" she shouted, appearing above him in a flourish of leaves. She reached down, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him off the ground so that his eyes met hers. "You think I'm going to just stand aside while you hurt the people I care about?! Do you think the world will accept what you're trying to do?! At this point…" she turned away, tears continuing to pour down her face as she spoke. "You're no better than Madara!"

The sound of chirping birds suddenly filled the air, and her eyes widened.

"Sakura." Sasuke repeated, his face as blank and unimpressed as always.

"You're annoying."

_BZZT!_

It had been close. A second later, and Sasuke's hand would have pierced clean through Sakura's heart. As it was, however…

Naruto glared at Sasuke from his crouched position, and Sakura, held neatly in his arms bridal-style, gazed upon him with wide eyes.

"Naruto!"

"I'll take it from here, Sakura-chan!" Naruto promised, laying the girl down gently beside Kakashi. "Rest now, and leave it to me!"

He activated his Chakra Cloak, and turned to face his future opponent.

"I'm going to kill you, Naruto." Sasuke grunted, lowering his Chidori arm to glare at the blonde. "Then, I will use the Tailed Beast's Chakra to rid this world of the Infinite Tsukiyomi... and rule this nation, as _Hokage._"

"You'll never be Hokage like that, Sasuke!" Naruto declared. "Your brother knew that! He told me… that a person doesn't gain respect by being Hokage, but that by gaining respect they become Hokage! Killing the five leaders of the Shinobi World… that won't do anything but continue this cycle of hatred! Sasuke… you won't become Hokage by doing that!"

"Idiot. You think I care about the approval of others?" Sasuke questioned. "No. You seem to misunderstand just what a Hokage really is. So… before I send you to the next world. I'll explain it, Naruto… the true definition of the title _Hokage_."

"The true… definition?!" Naruto wondered, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of his face.

"Sasuke… just what is it you're trying to say?" Kakashi asked then, still exhausted from his earlier use of the Sharingan's many forms.

"Hn… a Hokage is one who rules over all. They are those who do what is necessary, no matter the sacrifice, no matter the suffering it may bring to others. Naruto… this naïve ideal of yours… it's fine for children," Sasuke murmured, his hand sparking with the light of the Chidori once more, "but it doesn't have a place among Ninja!"

With nothing more to say, he lunged forward, and Naruto, with the spiraling sphere in hand, did the same.

"RASENGAN!"

"CHIDORI!"

The two smashed together in a spiraling light, their signature jutsu colliding in the center of the world leaving Sakura, Kakashi, and the Silent Sage to watch in awe.

In moments, the black sphere emerged, and the world known to the Sage's successors vanished completely in a wave of white light.

"Sasuke…"

"Naruto…"

The two gazed upon each other in that second, for what they both knew might possibly be the last time. In that one second, they both understood.

Their hands collided, and the Infinite Tsukiyomi was broken.

One by one the cocoons holding humanity hostage collapsed, and one by one, the Shinobi Alliance awoke only to find themselves gazing upon the conclusion of the war.

The black sphere faded, and in the end Naruto and Sasuke reappeared, their hands still merged tight in the collision of Rasengan and Chidori.

"Naruto…!"

"Sasuke…!"

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

"NARUTO!"

"SASUKE!"

With a great roar, Naruto Uzumaki yelled louder and plowed forward, the remnants of his jutsu overcoming Sasuke's own, and pushing the Uchiha back.

The poor sap never had a chance.

"Impossible!"

"Nothing's impossible for Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo!" the blonde shouted, and he let the Rasengan go.

As if on command the prized ninjutsu grew, its contact with Sasuke prompting it to burst and explode. With a great cry the Uchiha was sent flying, the great sphere of power pushing him farther and farther away from the one he needed to kill – the one who could stop him.

_Did_ stop him, he amended, realizing with wide eyes the cold hard truth.

He was #$%+&!

"NARUTO!" Sasuke roared in outrage, his body vanishing in the swirl of Rasengan light.

And then there was nothing.

No Sharingan.

No Chidori.

And no Sasuke.

Naruto panted softly, his Chakra Cloak fading as he fell to his knees in exhaustion. Humanity had only seen the last part, but the truth of the matter was that he and Sasuke had fought for hours, in the most epic Taijutsu and Ninjutsu match EVER.

Kakashi, despite himself, wiped a tear from his eye.

His students… even if Sasuke was a bit of a bad apple, the fight had been so damn _good._

Sakura was unconscious of course, having passed out during the accidental kiss Naruto and Sasuke shared during the final fight.

As the Chibaku Tensei fell, releasing the Biju back into the world, Naruto glanced toward the rising sun, and smiled.

All's well that ends well, he supposed, and if it took beating Sasuke and the few members of his ragtag group to end the cycle of hatred…

His eyes steeled, and he turned toward the red-haired Uzumaki charging toward him angrily.

Then so BE IT!

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><p><strong>THE END<strong>


End file.
